Video Transcript

Hi I am Ian Lauer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, here with Team Powertec. Here to talk to you today about leg development, in particular the hamstrings. Here on the Power Rack were gonna start with a squat but to get that extra emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings, were gonna go with a wide stance so were bringing in and were up. Typically your squat is gonna be a little wider than shoulder width, but here were gonna widen it out just a little bit, toes pointed out slightly and what that’s gonna do is bring out emphasis again into the hamstrings. Breathe in on the way down and out as you squeeze up and again squeeze the glutes and the hamstrings in each rep. In on the way down and out as you come up. And that is your wide stance squat that’s really gonna hammer your glutes and hamstrings.

Next were gonna move in to a staggered squat. This move you’ll see, it’s kinda of like a lunge. You’ll see a lot of lunging front and back or you’ll see a square squat like so. Staggered squat is heel to toe in positioning and we’re going to drop down, weight in heel of this front foot and up. Breathe in on the way down and up. And of course you’ll switch feet. Same thing, breathe in on the way down and out on the way up. In on the way down and out on the way up. This is the kind of reps to go and you can really feel it. What you’re gonna notice is the front leg, you’re gonna feel hamstings in the front leg. A little quad activation in the back leg but kinda like a kick stand but the front leg is doing 60% of the work let’s say and the back is about doing 40. So those are the 2 exercises, 2 to go.

Next were moving into good mornings. So we’re gonna step into position. It’s gonna look like were gonna do a squat. We have a soft bend in the knee, head forward, chest up, bend at the waist and exhale as you come up. Breathing in on the way down and out as you come up. What we’re doing is stretching the hamstrings and utilizing it and squeezing it to lift back up. That’s why it’s engaging and really hitting the hamstrings. That’s exercise number 3.

And for the final exercise for the hamstrings series here, I wanna show you variation. We’re going to do a stiff leg deadlift. We’re just gonna take this out for now so they will not get in our way. That’s one important note, when you’re working on the Power Rack. when you can use the safety bars, it’s a good idea to use them. That’s what they’re here for. If you don’t have a spotter or you’re just working out, you wanna make sure you don’t get caught under the weight. So next were gonna move into a stiff leg deadlift.

Got these in the position, let’s see, number 7.

Okay, so a stiff leg deadlift, what you’re gonna do is that you can use a traditional grip or a alternating grip, step back, similar to good morning, soft knees but maintaining the rigidity keeping them solid, we’re gonna stretch and up. Breathe in on the way down and up and protecting that lower back keeping that nice strong lower back and solid curve.

And there you have it, 4 exercises: the wide squat with toes out, staggered squat, and we have good mornings, and then stiff leg deadlift to hit the hamstrings. Improve your physique and your game.